by Emera Rose
Barrett glances down to Kori in amusement and laughs. Kori looks up to him and smiles devilishly and it hits me. She wasn’t ever interested in Zev. It was a test.
My best friend . . . the woman I viewed as a sister . . . has completely betrayed me. Shaking my head, I turn around and exit the café. Every step I take away from Kori is another where I can breathe better.
I hear a pair of footsteps following me. I end up getting out of the building and cross over to where my dorm room is before I stop. Turning around, I see it’s Jaz. What’s she doing following me? “Are you okay, Roxana? I saw what went down and I . . . I thought you might need a friend.” Her tone is so genuine, like she actually gives a damn, and god, it’s refreshing.
“Thanks, Jaz, but . . . I need some time to breathe. I’m . . . I’m caught off guard by what just happened and I really need some time to process it.”
She nods. “Okay, well, if you ever need an ear, I’ll be around. Not many people here like me anyway.”
I feel so bad for her. She hasn’t been able to shift, so people treat her a bit badly because of it. “Thanks, Jaz. I have a feeling I’ll take you up on that offer someday.”
Jaz smiles and nods again. “Okay, well, try not to let what they said bother you. People can be real dicks around here sometimes.”
As sad as it is, it’s absolutely true.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Zev
I wake up in a cold sweat. My eyes scan the room looking for the threat I had just been fighting. I let out a sigh when I realize it was only a dream. Even in my sleep, I’m fighting for my life. After everything that happened on campus with the monsters, the faculty has locked the school down. No one in and no one out. All classes have been suspended and everyone is hiding away, fearful of what could be coming next.
I feel the same way, Fearful of what’s coming.
I get out of bed and walk over to the bathroom. I look into the mirror and scenario after scenario replays in my head.
What if they come back?
What if I face something stronger than me?
How will I defeat them?
Does the faculty know what’s going to happen?
Who let those monsters in?
Did anyone die?
I close my eyes, trying to erase the memory, and splash some water on my face to cool my skin down. Even my hair is drenched in sweat. My normal silver strands are now a dark gray color. I need to get out of here. I need to stop thinking about everything that may be. I have to get my anxiety under control.
When I open my eyes again, even I notice the strain in them. I wish there was someone who I could talk to about everything that’s going on. I could go to Roxana, but I know how worried she is already. I wish I could talk to Jasper. He would have an idea of what to do.
I look at the time and see it’s already close to midday. I can go see if there’s any change in Jasper’s condition. I quickly throw some clothes on, and my pants are tighter than they once were. It seems I’ve gotten bigger since I’ve been here. No doubt that has to do with my ability to spontaneously turn into a big wolf whenever I want.
I make my way out of the dorm and through the courtyard so I can get over to the nurse’s office. There’s a part of the academy that has a hospital where we treat seriously injured or sick people. It’s past the usual triage area, with much more advanced equipment.
There isn’t one person I pass who doesn’t stop and look at me. None of them say anything to me, but I can see the questions in their eyes. A few weeks ago, I was just the boy everyone thought would be dead or was a lowborn werewolf. Now, they all know I’m a Lycan. They don’t know how far up the chain I am, but they know I’m not someone to mess with.
I walk into the nurse’s office and can see that Jasper is still knocked out. Professor O’Donovan had to repair his kidney and part of his lung along with all the other wounds that he sustained. While she was able to fix him up, his body still needs its rest.
“Zev?” a voice speaks from the side. When I look over, I see the headmaster sitting in the corner in the dark, keeping watch over Jasper.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he already had company. I can come back.” Even in this little light, I can see that the headmaster is torn up about what happened to his nephew.
“No, stay, please. I need . . .” He lets out a sigh and rises from his chair. He walks closer to me and I watch as he steadies himself. Whatever he’s about to say is going to be difficult. “I need to tell you something, and I beg of you, just hear me out.”
I stand back slightly. Fuck, whatever it is isn’t going to be good. I’m not sure I can take much more of this.
“What?”
“You’re a Bonovich,” he says as a statement.
I nod my head in affirmation but am confused as to how he knows. I didn’t think Jasper had the time to tell him.
“Your fur, that glow, only your line has been able to do that.” He lets his head drop as fresh tears begin rolling down his face. “Zev, I’m so sorry. I didn’t have a choice. It’s my fault, everything that happened, Jasper being hurt.” He raises his eyes to look at me. “Your parents.”
I growl and lunge slightly before I realize that Jasper is directly between us. It’s the only thing that stops me. “You better start making fucking sense right now, or I’m going to rip your head off your shoulders.”
“Mason Grim is my alpha. He’s always been my alpha and I’ve always done his bidding. When he asked me to help him create a serum to enhance the skills of Lycans, I thought nothing of it. The serum I created worked wonderfully on one specimen, but no matter what I tried, I couldn’t replicate the results. Instead, everything after that first one became the abominations that you saw attacking the school. They’re called rackeds. I tried to destroy the formula, but he told me that there may come a time when these abominations would prove useful. He told me to keep the serum and I did.” He walks to the other side of the bed and crosses his arms over his chest as he continues his story.
“He came to me again a little more than a decade ago and said that the rackeds were needed to finish off the last of the pack who betrayed our kind. I was skeptical, but I would do anything for the true alpha. Getting rid of the traitors meant we could live in a world of peace. It turns out he let the rackeds loose on your family, and they killed them in the process. He asked me for the serum again the other day. He’s the one who let the rackeds loose on the school. He let those monsters loose to kill innocent children. They hurt Jasper, my s—” He swallows hard before he continues, “My nephew.”
No. I look from him to Jasper and back again. How did I not see this before? “Jasper’s your son, isn’t he?” I already know. I can see the pain. A pain a father feels for his son.
“I always suspected but I never pressed it. I was in love with his mother, but she was already married to my brother. Their mating bond broke and she mated with me. It’s never supposed to happen, but it did, just that once. I don’t know if he’s mine for sure.”
I stumble back slightly and pray that Jasper can’t hear this. It’ll break him. “Why didn’t you stop him? Why didn’t you stop Grim from doing all this?”
“I thought he was the true alpha. As a part of his pack, his word should be law. It should be, that was until you ordered the line to be held while the rackeds were baiting us to fight them. I was one of those. That was me you ordered, and I had no choice but to obey. It’s you, your bloodline that is supposed to lead us all. I’ve been following the orders of a traitor and it has cost me everything.” He walks over to where I am and kneels.
What the fuck?
“Zev, I have no right to even hope for mercy, but I ask that you spare my life. Mason Grim has reigned as a false alpha for too long. I want to help you take him down.”
I grab his shoulder and pull him up. The last thing I want is for people to be bowing to me. Though it does make me feel powerful, that isn’t the kind of leader I want to be.
“If you are pledging your loyalty to me, I’ll take it.” I tighten my grip on his shoulder painfully and watch as he winces slightly. “But if you cross me, there’s no hole you will be able to hide in where I won’t find you.”
When he nods his head and turns back to Jasper, I let him go. It’s true that he made the monsters that killed my parents, but it wasn’t him who let them loose. It wasn’t him who has been using those in his pack to further his own gain. It’s Mason Grim, my mate’s father and the man I must kill in order to take my rightful spot as leader.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Roxana
I knew he was here, that he was in the hospital within the academy. He didn’t wait for me at my dorm, so he would’ve naturally come here. I know Zev is riddled with guilt and I can’t even imagine the plethora of feelings coursing through his mind. So, I came straight here, straight to the one person’s bed I knew he’d be beside.
But what I didn’t expect was to be privy to a conversation with Headmaster Rhodes . . . admitting that he could be Jasper’s father, and that he was a beta to my father . . . or how my father ordered the creation of a serum. The same serum that created the rackeds in the first place.
Chills run over my shoulders, flowing down every limb of my body until I’m frozen in place. How could this be? Why would he do such a thing? Would he really do this to further our line? Is he that power hungry? But as I ask myself all these questions, I know in my heart why he’s done it.
It’s because he is power hungry.
It’s because he does want to rule.
It’s because whatever he wants is his prerogative, and he’ll do whatever he needs to get it.
“Roxana, you can come out from behind that curtain.” Zev speaks to me calmly, yet I know it’s a command. And just like that, my limbs warm up and I move, my inner beta needing to please my alpha, but not only my alpha, my mate.
“I . . . um . . . I didn’t realize you were here, Ms. Grim,” Headmaster Rhodes comments, looking a bit flustered.
“I . . . I walked in and felt it was rude to interrupt. I was going to wait until there was a break in the conversation but . . .” I mutter, not sure how to feel at this moment. Should I be embarrassed? Should I feel relieved? I shake my head and bury my thoughts.
Zev’s eyes narrow in on me, and in one moment, he knows something’s wrong. “I’ll come back to check on Jasper later, Headmaster Rhodes. I appreciate the conversation we’ve had and look forward to speaking with you again soon.”
Headmaster Rhodes bows his head. “Likewise, Zev.”
Zev comes over to me and takes my hand, practically tugging me out past the nurse’s office, into the hallway, and leads us back to the hall that houses my dorm room. Or our dorm room. I don’t even know what to call it right now.
He doesn’t say a word until we’re safely behind closed doors. “What’s the matter? You look upset.”
Scrunching my nose, I cock a brow. “There’s no way I look upset. I’m a master at hiding my feelings. I’m a Grim, remember?”
Zev scoffs and stalks toward me, forcing me to back myself up against the wall. He puts a hand on the wall next to my face and the other is holding my hip. “I know you better than anyone else, Roxana Grim, and it’s best you not forget that. We’re linked. When you feel anger, I feel your anger. When you feel sad, I feel sadness. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
Lowering my eyes to the floor, I debate telling him, but I know I need to. The two of us need to be honest with one another, and I need him now more than ever. “Everything I’ve known in this world is nothing but a lie, and then at the same time, everyone is gunning for me. I can’t trust my father. My best friend is now dating the man who tried to rape me. I went from being the highest bloodline to being something less than, and I can’t deny that I don’t feel like I’m not only losing grip on everything I thought I knew, but I’m losing . . . everything to be with you. It feels like my entire world is falling apart, Zev.” Tears slip down over my cheeks at my admission, realizing just how badly this is affecting me.
I want to be with Zev. In fact, I know I’m going to be with him . . . but I can’t hide the hurt in my heart. Even if I tried, he’d be able to feel it too.
Zev takes his hand from where it is on the wall and wipes my tears away, staring deeply into my eyes. “Oh, my dear Roxana. How I hate the suffering you’re enduring right now.” He brings his forehead against mine and presses his lips to my own in a chaste manner. Nothing passionate, but enough for me to know he’s here.
“I wish everything was normal, that we could be together and I’d have my best friend. That Kori wouldn’t be turning into a nemesis of mine. I wish my father wasn’t the world’s biggest villain. I just wish this didn’t have to be so hard, Zev!” I cry out, unable to refrain from allowing my tears to burst free.
Zev wraps his arms around my small frame and pulls me to his chest. “I know I’m not always good with words and whatever, but I’m pretty sure all powerful couples go through stuff like this. Just know I won’t let it pull us apart. We’re going to get through this. I know it might not seem like it, but we will.”
I breathe against his chest and nod, but as I look up, I see the crimson red color in the sky. It means one thing and one thing only. There’s going to be a blood moon tomorrow night, and no matter how I feel internally right now, I need to pull myself together before the sun rises tomorrow. I can’t have everyone knowing I’m off my game.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zev
Roxana tells me that the blood moon assembly is usually the assembly most of the student body looks forward to the most. There’s dancing, magic, and celebrations. Those in the top of the class put on combat demonstrations for people to see. It’s supposed to be a good time, a lighthearted event for us all to enjoy.
Unfortunately, since the attack, this assembly has been more somber than that of past assemblies. There are still the usual events, but most of the student body is either talking about what happened with the rackeds or looking at Roxana and I in disbelief.
Half of the student body nearly exploded in shock when Roxana and I walked out earlier with my arm draped over her shoulder possessively. The alpha princess and the mutt are not supposed to be an item, but here we were, cuddling and trying to enjoy the last bit of normalcy we might know for a while.
The headmaster rings the bell to call the students to attention and we all find seats. The chairs are arranged in large half circles. I take a seat in the front and Roxana sits right next to me. I see Jasper hobbling over. I’m happy to see him up and about. He still has a bit of healing to do, but we couldn’t get him to miss the assembly.
He looks to the other side of me, but there is someone sitting in that seat.
“Hey, bro, you think I can sit here?” he asks the kid.
“What? There are plenty of other seats around,” the boy answers.
I growl in my chest, the vibrations loud enough to get the kid’s attention. “Get the fuck up,” I say, cutting my eyes over to him.
The boy backs up slightly and I can smell the fear seeping from his pores. He grabs his bag and almost jumps out of the chair. Jasper happily takes his place. “Ah, the perks.”
I shake my head and lean back in my chair. Roxana throws her legs over mine and gets comfortable in her chair. Professor Softhowler walks up to the front to address the student body.
“Students and faculty . . .” Just the sound of his voice makes me feel at ease and calm. “Let me start this assembly by expressing how grateful I am that we are all here today. I know the recent tragic events of the rackeds attacking the grounds has made this an almost somber occasion, but we must remember that as Lycans and werewolves, we will always be tested. There will always be an enemy at our gates. It is with one unified pack that we will rise victorious. We have assembled on the night of the blood moon because the full moon signifies when we are at our strongest. The red represents the blood of those who dare go against us.” Softhowl
er rakes his eyes over the crowd. “Time for a demonstration. Time to bear witness to the power of our kind.” Professor Softhowler takes a few steps back. “Jaz Davenport, front and center.” Several students near us along with Roxana let out gasps. Her head swivels and she searches for the girl in the crowd.
“Erin Wit, take your place.” There’s another gasp as this girl starts walking toward the center.
“What’s going on? What’s happening?” I whisper to Jasper. I don’t understand what’s supposed to happen at the assembly as this was my first one.
“The faculty consult with the old runes, basically a bunch of bones that they believe hold the essence of our people. The runes choose the strongest of the student body in three categories— strongest hybrid, strongest werewolf, and finally, strongest Lycan. Usually, it’s the upperclassmen. Erin is a senior and she’s won two years in a row. Jaz shouldn’t even be in the same fucking category. No one has even seen her shift yet.”
I watch as the two girls take their places in the center of the space that Professor Softhowler just left. The faculty spread out in front of the student body, forming a sort of barrier between us and the two girls who are about to fight.
“How do we know who wins? Is this like a death match or something?”
“No, the loser will yield,” Roxana says.
“Yield?”
“Yeah, they say uncle.”
I nod my head, that phrase I understand.
I look at the scene about to unfold and I can’t believe how uneven it is. I can sense Jaz’s confusion and fear. She wasn’t expecting to be chosen. I don’t think anyone did.
“Let’s go, Erin!” A few of the upperclassmen clap and whoop as the two fighters begin to circle each other.
I lean forward, something compelling me to reach out to Jaz. “Fight hard, Jaz. Don’t hold back!” I shout so she can hear me.
